Friday, April 06, 2007

Charchari, according to Wiki is a unique char flavored vegetable dish, found primarily in Bengali Cuisine

Why I resort to Wiki -- because I did not know about the importance of this char flavor and that this is the reason the dish gets its name. Wiki further says -- Just as the vegetables begin to char, a sizzling sound is heard, and the pot is removed from the heat. After a few minutes, the thin charred crust is stirred gently into the dish. No, I don't wait for the sizzling sound, am not that good a bong cook yet. There is little chance of the vegetables charring in my non-stick Kadhai and I would rather not wait to hear the sizzle to get the right amount of charring and have the risk of my vegetables burning away to glory.

For me Charchari has always been a dry vegetable Bengali Dish, where the Charchari is a noun and the particular Vegetable gracing it the adjective. Thus Alu Charchari is a Charchari with Potatoes, Alu-Fulkopi Charchari is a dry dish with Potatoes and Cauliflower, Begun Charchari has Brinjal playing the central character and so on. The method of preparing is more or less the same and the only thing that varies is the vegetable and the spice used for phoron or tempering. It could be Panch Phoran, Black Mustard Seeds, Kalonji.

Interestingly Charchari can also have fish in it, the small fish like Mourala or small Shrimp is sometimes added and with some fish head thrown in the regular Charchari becomes the mouth watering Kata Charchari

However the quintessential Charchari is the PanchMishali Charchari or the Charchari prepared with 5 different veggies. The 5 is a average number not random though, it could be 4 or 6 but definitely not 10 or 2. Nowdays when I or anyone in the family or my friends say Charchari, we always know that the Charchari in question is the "PanchMishali Charchari" and not any of the Single Veggie Charchari. So I guess the name Charchari is now synonymous with the one made of 5 or more different vegetables one and it has gained its present status by its popularity, and health benefits.

Though we would refer to Charchari as a Mixed Vegetable Dish in English, it is not a generic Mixed vegetable Dish i.e a generic mixture of any vegetables would not do. There are some that are absolute must and some that are optional

The Main ActorsJhinge or Ridge Gourd ~ This is a tender veggie, it releases water on cooking and this aids in cooking the Charchari without any additional water being addedKumro or Pumpkin ~ This lends its sweetness to the dish and I think also adds that colourAlu or Poatoes ~ Keeps the dish together by its integrity and solidness.Begun or Brinjal ~ Gets mushed up easily and its softness lends a tender touch to the Charchari

The Side PlayersShim or Runner beans ~ You could substitute this with string beans or french beansMulo or Radish ~ This I guess adds a crunch to the dish, and is my Ma's favorite. She is always trying to add this while I try to avoidShojne Data or Drumsticks ~ Tender, Green drumsticks a joy to munch on were my favoroite but they were available only during early summer. The frozen ones here are aged and does not taste that good but I add them sometimes

Care should also be taken while cutting the veggies as all of them go in one pot and are cooked at the same time. So you should try to have some semblance in sizes which they are chopped.

Just like most traditional dishes dishes every Bengali Household has its own way of cooking this Charchari, how else would you compare your Ma's Charchari with your Ma-in-laws. They vary a little around the central theme but do not go off the tangent and add onion and garlic to a charchari and I am yet to see anything like this recipe Wiki refers to here. Nutmeg and Cloves in a charchari, no thanks I would stick to the traditional one.

The recipe here is my Ma’s way of making Charchari. She steams the veggies a little first as that lessens the cooking time or something. Instead of steaming first you can do it all together too. Serve it as a part of a traditional Bengali meal with White Rice for Lunch or Dinner but Lunch is usually the preferred meal to serve and eat Charchari

Vadi ~ 8-10 small Bengali vadis are best. I used the Punjabi Vadi found here but the flavor did not go well.

How I Did It

Wash & Chop the veggies in almost equal sizesIn a Kadai put all the veggies with ½ tsp of turmeric and 2 tbsp of mustard paste and cook covered. No need to add water as the Ridge gourd will release water and this will be enough.Cook till the veggies are doneHeat Oil in a Kadhai/Frying PanTemper with Panch Phoron and Hing/Asafetida, Green Chillies and wait till the spices popAdd the steamed veggiesSauté and add sugar and salt. Mix well.Do not stir any more and cook till the water dries out and maybe try hearing the sizzle sound if you would. I just wait for the water to dry and that is absolutely necessary.Drizzle 1 or 2 tsp of Mustard Oil before you take it off the heat. If you don't have Mustard Oil you can skip this stepEnjoy with White Rice or you can also have it by itself if you wish. A healthy, tasty dish is waiting for you.

With VadisIf you are using Vadis, fry them brown and keep aside. Crumble them on top of the finished dish. The Punjabi Masale Wadi I found in my Indian Grocery Store lacked the requisite flavor and crunchiness that is required for this dish. The Bengali Dal Vadis or Boris are best for this. The Bengali Vadis are known as Boris and are small sun dried cones of lentil paste, the shapes are like Hershey's Kisses

Note: Remmeber to cut the veggies in similar shapes and sizes.The other Bengali dish which is also a medley of vegetables is Shukto

Trivia: Bengali Bori (Vadis in other parts of India) is made of various types of lentil paste. Usually they are shaped like cones some what like the Hersheys Kisses and sun dried. Making Boris was a art in a Bengali house and was done with the utmost sanctity. The Boris were usually shaped some what like the Hersheys Kisses and there was a lore that if you could make your cone(the pointy thing) sharp, your husband would have a sharp nose. The district of Midnapore is famous for its Goina Bori , Goina meaning jewellery, which are unique for their beautiful designs

Sandeepa, we make this combination of mixed vegetable dish without the mustardy element and call it labra which basically means a mishmash of many, and without the vadis...in fact made it a couple of days ago and was just thinking about posting it.For us charchari is any vegetable with the mustard paste...but not with this combination ...this is only for labras...but I've tasted your type on numerous occasions during our stint in Kolkata and love it...

Sandeepa, great recipe :)Love this dish :) This is similar to the Ghanta we make back home in Orissa, except that Ghanta has a little gravy and we don't add badis to it. Instead of the Masala Badi's try the plain, small badi's available at the indian store. They taste much better.

Thanks for this wonderful write up Sandeepa...I do want to try out different cuisines for the veggies...and kudos to you for popularising vegetarain Bengali stuff too...Can you suggest a menu for a vegetarian bengali lunch, from the items you have blogged so far so that I can do it one sunday and call my Bengali friend over...she would be thrilled!

Sandeepa, I often make this at home, usually to use up the many veggies in the fridge and to avoid having to cook the next two days :)I always use potato and brinjal, the panch phoron. The other veggies vary. A great favourite of mine!

Wow Sandeepa, that was such an informative post!!! Each veggy has a specific role in the dish, I never really thought about that concept ever. In Kerala, we have a mixed veg dish called Avial, again a mix of vegetables, I bet there is a function for each and every veg in there too, more food for my thoughts... :)

Thats a delightful preparation, Sandeepa. Loved your description of main actors and side players. Mustard Oil does give a distinct taste to the vegtables. Loved every bit of this post-you sre have a way with words and vegetables :)

BeeHee, hee, THAT is true. I am really not good yet, I am still on the curve.When I was in B'bay at my first job all I could cook is "Egg Curry" and "Cauliflower Curry". That too I would toss the Cauliflower florets from far because I was afraid of the sputtering.

Recently a friend of those days who was also a classmate was visiting after many years and he was kind of waiting to see my "cauliflower throwing" stunt.

When I calmly stayed near the oven all the time, cauliflower et al he was amazed ;-) and really appreciated my current culinary skils BUT I myself know I have a whole lot to learn

Its a new recipe for me. I have not tried mustard paste and mustard oil in cooking at all Sandeepa. I like the part of crushing the vadis at the end. Ur write was good as usual.. a lenghty one though(really patient).

Hi Sandeepa,This is my first time here! You have a lovely blog.. I have never really had any Bengali food except of course my favorite Jhaal muri :-) Your charchari recipe sounds really easy and delicious. Sounds very similar to a konkani dish with coconut called Ghashi..except we use dal in it.

I found that butternut squash tastes exactly like "kumro" back home - when the pumpkin is not around :) .. amd if you like lau d(n)ata , you can try out the asparagus minus the tips - they taste just like them ...

Sandeepa, I owe you this one and have been meaning to do this for a while -- a big thank you for your blog.I have tried out several of your recipes, some with a few variations based on my tastes (sometimes experimental)or on what's available in my fridge.They are all great!Keep the Bong recipes coming...Thanks again!SS

Dear sandeepa cheers for the posts. Your recipes are pretty authentic and mouth watering. I want to add that in charchari one of the main player is the cut stems of cauliflower leaves! This gives awesome taste, just like radish. cheersBhaswati

Thanks for the recipe. I used a bag of frozen vegetables (carrots broccoli, cauliflower, beans) and Coldeman's mustard for a shortcut. It turned out really yummy and got two thumbs up from hubby. Btw would you happen to know why everytime i grind brown mustard seed (in a coffee grinder), the curry turns out bitter?

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Predominantly a Bong, who loves being a Mom and loves to cook among other things for the li'l one and the big ones.She loves to write too and you will find her food spiced up with stories. Mainly a collection of Bengali Recipes with other kinds thrown in, in good measure. A Snapshot of Bengali Cuisine